Piston pumps

Piston pumps are based on the reciprocating positive-displacement principle.

During the first cycle lubricant is sucked in through an inlet valve by a piston traveling in one cylinder. It is then discharged through the outlet valve. As soon as the lubrication routine is finished, the actuating piston has to be relieved of pressure so that the pump can suck in lubricant again. Once the line is relieved of pressure the connected distributors can reverse and be refilled for the next lubrication cycle.

In centralized lubrication systems, piston pumps are almost exclusively used for total loss lubrication systems. The pumps vary in terms of their technical versions depending on the type of system and lubricant used. Piston pumps can be installed separate from the lubricant reservoir or combined directly with a lubricant reservoir as a compact pumping unit. On other models they are directly flange-mounted in the lubricant reservoir inside the machine.

SKF provides a whole array of different pumping unit models for a range of specific applications and drive modes.